REACTIONS-Israeli attacks on Gaza Strip

Here is the latest reaction to the violence:

TURKEY
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan:   "It will be more difficult to carry out Israel-Palestine peace talks healthily in 2009 under these circumstances. (Israel) might aim to weaken Hamas with the operation in Gaza. We do not share this view. Many people, some groups in the Muslim world who see this tragedy in Gaza will feel more sympathy for Hamas because they are the victims now."

U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL
Croatia's Neven Jurica, council president:
"The members of the Security Council expressed serious concern at the escalation of the situation in Gaza and called for an immediate halt to all violence."

PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS
"We talked to them (Hamas) and we told them 'please, we ask you, do not end the truce. Let the truce continue and not stop' so that we could have avoided what happened."

IRAN
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei:
"All Palestinian combatants and all the Islamic world's pious people are obliged to defend the defenceless women, children and people in Gaza in any way possible. Whoever is killed in this legitimate defence is considered a martyr,"

POPE BENEDICT
"The native land of Jesus cannot continue to be witness to so much bloodshed, repeating itself without end. I implore an end to that violence, which must be condemned in every manifestation and for a renewal of the truce in the Gaza Strip."

AUSTRALIA
Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard:
"Clearly, we are calling on Hamas and other militants to cease shelling southern Israel. Obviously they have broken the ceasefire and engaged in an act of aggression against Israel. Israel has responded. We are echoing the calls from around the world for parties to move back to a ceasefire."

CHINA
Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang in a statement posted on the ministry's website:
"China expresses serious concern about the escalation of the tense situation in Gaza, denounces actions that cause injuries and deaths to ordinary people, opposes the use of military force in resolving disputes, appeals to related parties to exercise maximum restraint and to settle differences through dialogue."

INDONESIA
Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah in an official statement reported by the Jakarta Post newspaper:
"The Indonesian government is deeply upset by the deaths of about 150 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip caused by the Israeli missile attacks. The Indonesian government condemns the attack and calls for Israel to end the use of violence in the Gaza Strip because this will prompt new tensions, while, on the other side, the attack is an abuse of the Annapolis agreement which had been negotiated."

JAPAN
The Japanese government urged an immediate halt to the use of force, called on Israel to exercise "utmost self-restraint" and Palestinian militants to stop attacks against Israel. Japan expressed concerned on the negative impact the Gaza situation could have on peace negotiations.

"Japan will continue to support...efforts towards the promotion of the Middle East Peace Process, and will continue its assistance to the Palestinian people, including for Gaza residents," a Foreign Ministry statement said.